Hallelujah!

 

 It was a first for us--my sisters and me

 and their husbands...

 We sang from the balcony of this beautiful Lutheran  church.

 I went with my humble, personal copies

of the oratorio.

I noticed a great variety of covers 

among those used by my fellow musicians.

After posting mine on Facebook this morning,

my friend sent a photo
of her two copies

to which I responded,

I find the covers of the Messiah so interesting...

No matter their age, they are "dignified" somehow; 

suited for their significant content.

***

No sooner were the words typed

than I realized this is true about more than Messiah covers!

It is a Life Lesson!  A goal, as it were...

Lord, let my outward appearance--my cover--be similarly "dignified";

suited for my significant content...

for indeed I contain the Light of Jesus Christ Himself! 

Hallelujah!

My friend's copies...

Throw Aways

Sadly, missing 4 pieces.

Imperfect, but beautiful.

(Not unlike our country...Not unlike ME!)

I'm reluctant to throw it away.

***

I enjoy finding unique jigsaw puzzles like this one at thrift stores.

For a quarter of a dollar or so, I've purchased many hours of relaxation.

To be honest, my husband puts in the most hours,

but there is something soothing to me about having a puzzle in process.

***

When we finish them, we pass them along to friends who pass along theirs to us

or return them to the thrift store.

If pieces are missing, we sometimes discard them.

This one is very hard for me to throw away...

Myrna's Treasure

It was Wednesday evening.  We were gathered around tables at our weekly prayer service.

She sat across the table from me, heart-heavy with the recent loss

of her best friend/sister-in-law.

After prayer, my husband led us in a discussion study of John 12

and the story of Mary anointing Jesus' feet 

with the precious ointment.

The discussion ended, folks got up to leave,

 and my friend across the table timidly motioned for me.

She handed me this treasure, wrapped loosely in Christmas paper.

She said she'd lost something precious this week and felt God directing her

to share something precious with me.

Only after unwrapping the "treasure" did the full impact (and parellel) of this friend's

timid and generous gift strike me.

Indeed, as did Mary's ointment THAT day,

THIS lotion's fragrance filled and CONTINUES to fill the room of my heart.
***

Dear Myrna.  I receive and return the treasure of love.

A Place

Two lanterns hang on our front porch.

Several weeks ago, we noticed a nest being built in one.

My husband quickly glassed in the one side through which the bird

accessed her construction project.

I left the nest there and filled it with a few artificial Easter eggs.

It never occurred to us to "fix" the OTHER lantern.

Wouldn't you know!  Now we have a nest and five eggs in that "other" lantern!

This morning I jotted in my journal:

Bird made nest - 5 eggs -

in the lantern hanging on porch.  NOT the one Gary glassed in.

What an enterprising bird.

Finding a way--

A PLACE...

to do what she was driven to do! 

As I wrote, I saw myself in that bird.

Just one step behind.

Still in some ways (at age 69) finding ways and

A PLACE

to do what I need do

as seasons change and "nests" are "glassed in"...

Hmmmmmmm.  Life lesson here!

Cut and Fold

Rather than slipping the gift card into a greeting card,

I recycled a greeting card to make a box to fit the gift card.

(I've seen one before, but I'm not sure I've tried my hand at one until now.)

I googled to find a pattern and found it delightfully easy to construct!
***
I was doubly pleased when I turned the box top over
and found the Christ Child in its center--
as though I'd made an effort to place Him there...
I hadn't.
But I AM determined to keep Him as the focus
in my personal life and celebrations this season.
I am well aware that it doesn't just "happen"
as easily as it did with the box top!
 

A Look Back at the Holiday

 The 2017 Thanksgiving holiday is history.

The much-anticipated Cracker Barrel dinner was a disappointment.

(Plate containing the meat and a spoonful of cranberry relish

came out sans the cornmeal dressing and sweet potato casserole.  

"It will be done in about 15 minutes," the waitress informed us.)

But games were played, and Father and I enjoyed the day and were thankful

for the innumerable blessings of life and the past year.

...a game for two...

Late that night, Hubby returned home safely from his marathon Thanksgiving travel.

Friday was spent away in the company of almost 40 family members.

Saturday found us at home where I served a soup lunch
and later enjoyed a short shopping trek to local Amish stores

with my sister-in-law who with my brother and two of their grandchildren

stopped in on their way back to North Carolina.

Only a grandson remains with us.

and I make a mental note of what I already know--

I am much more of a one-on-one person than a crowd-person.

In fact, the older I get, the more awkward and unsettled I am in a crowd...

Hmmmmmmmmmm.

When It's Easier NOT To...

Yesterday afternoon we walked at a nearby nature preserve.

The weather was perfect...the sun found us even in the middle of the woods.

Not a lot of color was to be found,

but all was peaceful and quiet.
Hickory nuts and acorns peppered the path.
Interesting sights staggered here and there
begged our notice.

 I'm thankful to have made the effort to fit in even a little time outdoors

and for the one who shared the walk with me.

Sometimes it's easier not to...

D'ya know what I mean?

Now to remember the reward for such little effort 

the NEXT time I'm tempted "not to"!

An Ode to an Amish Maiden

An October Ode to an Amish Maiden

10/20/2017 - rlg

We watched her hold the reins

with confidence,

methodically and skillfully

guiding the harnessed strength

of four work horses

plodding steadily,

unaware of her who persistently

requested of her father this post

until he acquiesced.

Proudly now he watched her

successfully navigating the task.

“She’s my little farm girl,”

he explained simply. 

It was an almost holy moment for me yesterday as we stopped the car to watch the harvesting of a cornfield outside of our little town.  So holy was it that I respected the experience by resisting the temptation to sneak a photo.  So today, I paint with words

The Amish farmer/father arrived in the field with a horse drawn wagon to load the corn.  As he watched his daughter and nephew who were navigating some of the last rows in the field, he slipped through the fence and came over to the car to meet us with the explanation that inspired the above writing.

In reflecting on the beautiful, soul-stirring experience, I realize a longing deep within.  I recognize myself in that  Amish maiden--eager for a  challenging post.  Maybe even an unconventional post. And more than a longing to try out the reins (yes, even at THIS age), more than the untried, unconventional post, I long for my Lord's approval.

Yes.  I guess deep inside I'm my Father's "little farm girl"...

Connections

I drew a fine line in my Bible in II Peter this morning during Pastor Bill's sermon.

A GREEN line, actually.

Maybe you see it up there.

The one with arrows pointing up and down.

Making A Connection.

Yes, my mind was running in a parallel track to what he was saying just then...

But it was there for me.

Couldn't have been clearer.

THE Connection between intentions and making every effort.

Do you see it?

Making Beauty Where I Am

...and making beauty where I am

 These words from Elizabeth's "About Me"

seemed to jump off my laptop screen and fix themselves firmly in my mind.

This is SO my desire--to make beauty where I am...

So many appear to do it so well; so effortlessly.

I, on the other hand, struggle.

Never quite satisfied with my attempts.

Last Sunday, our class lesson was on Creation from Genesis 1.

Once again, I noticed the words describing God's satisfaction at the end of each creation day:

"And God saw that it was good."

 Today, with new resolve I commit to making beauty where I am

whether by music or meal,

gentle word or clean window,

arrangement or accessory;
and to see that it IS good...

“Father, free us  (ME) from any need to be impressive today, or competent or celebrated. 
Help us (ME)  to rest in your love and to offer a kind presence.”
(Scotty Smith, Twitter)